Vehicle.



W. G. POLSGROVE.

VEHICLE.. A .APLICA-TION FILED JAN. 23,1908. 996,284. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lfg'.

Suomen yW. G. POLSGROVE. VEHICLE. APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 23, 190s.y

906,284. LIfvnelltolim.8,1908.

vs sHBETs-sHEET a.

@Rowing l To all whom it may concern:

i WILLIAM G. POLSGROVE,.O F ROSWELL,l TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

VEHICLE Specification lof Letters Patent. v

Application mea January 2s; 190s. serial No.. 412,338;

Be iii-known that I, WILLIAM G. PonscRovE, a citizenof the Unitedy States, residing lat Roswell, in the Acounty of Chaves and Territory of NewMeXico, and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicles and the object ofthe invention is to provide a vebodying i l-.is a side elevation,- partly y l same.

`there. is arranged side i 4, the side wheels 45 therefor whereby have complete control of 'the machine in hicle ofthe class known as unicycles ema .large wheel within-which the rider slts, the invention embodying a novel construction of wheel and balancing means the rider is enabled to propelling and balancing and steering the same..' With the above generalobject in view, the invention consists in tion, combination and arran as herein fully described, claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawings -Figure in section, of a vehicle embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a' verticall cross section through the saine. `Fig. -3 is a horizontal section Fig. `4 is a. detail of the machine, showing the operation of the balancing mechanism. -Fig; 5 isa-detail erspective view of one of the guide rollers.

ig. -6 is a diametrical section illustrated and vThe-machine .contem lated in this invention comprisesessential y a main center traction and carrying wheel the rimof which-is designated 'at 1, with a tire 2 which construction either opposite; sides of neumatie or solid. At t e main central lwheel balancing and sup-- portingwheels com rising rims B andtires eing connected Lto the main central wheel 'by means of cross bars 5 whereby allfof-the wheels are braced rela-.-

other andfcaused to revolvel in unison. scribed is preferably of s pokeless construction so' as to enable the occupants 'of the vehicle to enter and leave the wheel frame on l either side.v

- VMounted within the annular revolving wheel' frame hereinabove descrlb'ed, there is arranged anl annular seat .frame comprising have invented new cated in Figs. 1 and`2, so as to rollers from becoming disengaged fromithe the novel construclach--fof the rollers 1s preferably'` oppositely located rims '6 and 7 which` are connected at suitable'points by cross bars f8 and 9 to which are'attached guide rollers 10 which travel against the inner face 11 of the rim or felly lfof the -main central traction and carrying wheel, whereby the inner frame is supported on the outer frame or wheel. vThese-guide rollers may be arranged at any suitable intervals apart as indicated in Fig. 1 and each rolleris preferably of the construction illustrated in de :tail in Figs. 5 and 6 comprise a frame 12 having wings or flanges 13 which receive the shaft 14 of the roller. The roller is provided with opposite flanges 15 which straddlethe guide rim v11 as indirim.

ement of parts the latter being provided maybe of any desired;

rovided with antifriction vbearings in the orinof balls V1 arran ed in ball cups 17 secured within the hub o the wheel, the balls being held in place and made adjustable by means of cones 18, as clearly shown in Fig.l 6, the bearing when adj-usted', being held in adjusted "condition by means` of"`one..or more jam nuts 19.

' Extending transversely of the 'lower portion of the inner frame are parallel rails pension frame and having mounted thereon two sets of rollers 2-1-mounted on parallel axles22, each axle being provided with an upwardly extending lever arm 23 Iwhile the upper vends of the two lever arms are connected by a yoke or handle bar 24 which is pivotally connected at 25 whereby the -horizontality ofthe, handle bar 24 is preserved atall times.

26 designates the riders seat which and move on top of the wheels 21 as clearly indicatedin Fig. 4 wherein the lateral movements of the seat are indicated by full and vdotted lines. The rider, while o'ccupyinv the seat 26-1 holdsthe handle bar 24 an by shifting tlijesame lto one side or the other he simultaneously shifts the seat 2G on which heis-.seatedthus' shifting his weight and changingthe balance of the machine as va Wh'leand causing it to lean to one sideor the other. It may be stated here that when the machine is in perfect balance and being propelled alone at the'propcr speed, it will follow therecti 'Patented Dec. e, 190s. i

prevent .saidthe bearing being secured in fixed-relation to the inner or susto the arms 23 vas shown has sei cured `thereto parallel rails `27 which restin whichit is seen to I inear path. .Whemhoweveri 'the machine the shorter and I, therefore,

the weight is shifted to one side or the other, the machine will follow a curvilinear path and the greater thedegree of inclination of will be the curve described thereby.

Secured to one of the cross bars 9 connecting the rims and 7 of the inner frame are the inturned ends 28 of a steering frame 29 which extends around Athe side balancing and supporting rims 3 and is provided with a bearing stud 30 on which is fulcrumed a steering head 31 which carries a steering pane or rudder 4preferably of` cruciforni shape in cross section embodying vertical wings 32 and'horizontal wings The ruder or vane extends outward from the rear of the machine and the steering head 31 thereof extends ahead it has connected thereto a connecting bar 34 the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected 'at 35 to side levers 36 fulcr'umed intermediate their ends on the steerino' frame at the points 37. The opposite or Forward ends of the levers 36 have pivotally attached thereto at 38, connecting bars 39 which extend inward and are connected pivotally at 40 to a pair of arms 4l rigidly connected to and extending backward from the seat 26 -so that when the seat is shifted to one side or'the other of the machine, the tail vane or rudder will be correspondingly shifted to the saine side, the rudder thus assisting the driver of the machine in the steering op-y eration. It will be understood that the rudder may be made of suitable size to give the necessary air resistance surface for the purpose stated.

The machine may be driven by any suitable mo'tor 42 which has been conventionally shown in Figs. l and 3, the preferred driving gear embodying a -friction wheel 43 adapted to travel in. contact with the rim l and being actuated by means of a' sprocket chain 44 running aronnd sprocket wheels 45 and 46 on the wheel 43 and the engine shaft, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.` 46 designates a hand lever having a thumb' latch engage-- ment with a rack segment 47 for holdin the lever at any deslred point of adjustment and said lever is connected by means of a link 48 to the connecting bar 49 which extends between the engine shaft'V and the shaft of the friction roller 43, said lever which is arranged within convenient reach of.the driver in the seat 26enabling him to instantly throw the driving mechanism into Iznd 'out of engagement with the rim or fe y.

1t will, of course, be understood that the machine hereinabove described is susce tibia of various changes i-n the form, proportion and minor details of construction reserve the right to' make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

o f the stud 30 wherev wheel, and means for with and movable lt will be noted that the side or lateral supporting wheels are of less4 diameter than the main central supporting wheel to permit the turning of the vehicles as a whole and also to form supporting means for the vehicle while standing. still or when moving slowly, chine. As soon as the machine develops the necessary speed of momentum, it will immediatelyright itself so as.to travel on the main central carrying wheel with both of with the ground. Furthermore, the machine is particularly adapted forl traveling over sandy roads, the carrying wheel being of a size which prevents the same from sinking yto any appreciable depth in the sand. Furthermore, the machine as a wholemay be constructed so as to be very light which adds4 to its efficiency in traveling over soft or sandy road-ways.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. A vehicle comprising a main carrying wheel, an operators seat located within said wheel, and means for shifting said seat laterally including seat supporting wheels, guide rails for said wheels and a shifting lever. v

2. A vehicle comprising a main carrying wheel, an operators seat located within said shifting said seat laterally including a guide rail, rollers on which the seat moves, and means for Inoving said rollers.

3. A vehicle comprising amain carrying wheel, a suspension frame therein, an operators seat supported by said frame within the carrying wheel and adapted to be shifted laterally with respect to the plane of the wheel, and a rudder connected with said frame, t

4. A vehicle comprising a main carrying wheel, a suspension frame therein,

laterally with wheel, and an a1r resistance rudder connected with said fra-me.

5. A vehicle comprising a main carrying vwheel,.a suspension frame therein, an operators seat supported by said frame within the carrying wheel and adapted to be shifted laterally with respect to the plane of the wheel, a rudderframe connected with .the suspension frame and rim, and a rudder jointed to said rudder frame. f

6. A vehicle comprising a main carrying wheel, a suspension frame. therein, an operators seat supported by said the carrying wheel andadapted to be shifted laterally lane of the with respect to the w eel, and a rud er operative y` connected by the seat.

an oper. `ators seat supported by said frame within the carrying wheel and adapted to be shifted respect to the plane of the embracing the wheel frame within" as in starting and stopping the mathe lateral supporting wheels out of contact l `Wheel and means for 7. A vehicle comprising a main carrying Wheel, a suspension frame therein, an oper- 'ators seat supported by Said frame Wthln the carrying wheel and adapted to be shifted laterally with respect to the plane of the wheel, and a motor arranged Within the rim of said Wheel and comprising a driven hrowing said driven Wheel into and out of driving engagement with the main carrying Wheel.

, In testimony whereof I affix myrsgnature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. POLSGROVE. Witnesses:

A. E. REESE,

K. ALLEN. 

